Saint-Chamas

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Saint-Chamas
Saint-Chamas coat of arms
Saint-Chamas (France)
Saint-Chamas
region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Department Bouches-du-Rhône
Arrondissement Istres
Canton Berre-l'Étang
Community association Métropole d'Aix-Marseille-Provence
Coordinates 43 ° 33 '  N , 5 ° 2'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 33 '  N , 5 ° 2'  E
height 0-121 m
surface 26.7 km 2
Residents 8,574 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 321 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 13250
INSEE code 13092
Website http://www.saint-chamas.com/

View of the village with the Saint Léger church
Railway viaduct in Saint-Chamas

Saint-Chamas is a french commune in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the region Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur in Provence . It has 8,574 inhabitants (January 1, 2017).

geography

Saint-Chamas is located on the northern tip of the Étang de Berre near Miramas , 20 km south of Salon-de-Provence and 50 km northwest of Marseille . The highest point in the city is Le Verdon with a height of 121 meters.

history

Archaeological exploration of the abrises has shown that the area of ​​Saint-Chamas was already populated in the Paleolithic . During the Iron Age , the area was populated by the Ligurians who established an oppidum there, and later by the Celts . The Romans built the Pont Flavien , a triumph bridge over the Touloubre , in the 1st century BC .

Saint-Chamas is named after Sanctus Amantius (Amans), the Bishop of Rodez , in whose honor a chapel was built in the 7th century. The settlement was originally built on the limestone mountain Baou , from which you can overlook the Étang de Berre and the surrounding area and which was easy to defend.

A modern city emerged in the 17th century: the old settlement on the Baou became too narrow. It was abandoned when the new Perthuis and au Delà neighborhoods emerged. A town hall was built and the port was expanded. The Saint-Léger church was built between 1660 and 1668, but the bell tower was not completed until 1740. Today the church houses the Saint Anne altarpiece from the 16th century. In 1690, on the initiative of Louis XIV, the royal gunpowder mill La Poudrerie was built, which has long been the city's most important industry. On November 16, 1936, there was an explosion there, leaving 53 dead and 200 injured. The factory closed in 1974.

During the French Revolution , the city was called Port-Chamas for a number of years . The districts that developed at the town hall and the port were connected by a tunnel la Goule , which however collapsed in 1863. Today, Saint-Chamas is a tourist resort that has preserved its heritage and the appearance of a Provencal place.

Population development

year 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2016
Residents 4634 5083 5110 5045 5396 6595 7268 8418
Sources: Cassini and INSEE

Attractions

  • Pont Flavien, Roman bridge from 12 BC. Over the Touloubre, see Pont Flavien
  • Saint-Léger church from the 17th century
  • Viaduct de Saint-Chamas
  • Aqueduct du Pont de l'Horloge

  • Roman Pont Flavien at the southern exit of the city

  • Bell tower on the Pont de l'Horloge in the market square

Personalities

  • Jean-Baptiste Surian (1670–1754), Bishop of Vence and member of the Académie française, born in Saint-Chamas

Web links

Commons : Saint-Chamas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files